I had a plague 3 years ago, but no trouble since. The best solution, though not terribly attractive, is pots filled with straw or similar - this time of year, lay them in out of the way places for them to hide in. During the growing season, best placed upside down on sticks at the same height as whatever flowers are being attacked - they need checking and emptying daily in summer, and the resident earwigs destroyed. Usually only come out at dusk, so checking the pots during the day should mean they're in there. My dad used to empty the pots into a bucket of water...
If its really bad, you can get insecticide sprays to treat for them, but best used around dusk on mild evenings during the growing season, not now.
Just make sure that they're actually earwigs though - centipedes, which are beneficial, look quite similar at first glance.

earwigs are model parents if anyone is interested to research their lives, they're not all bad eh? ;-)

Thank you both. I don't want to resort to spraying, so I shall use upturned pots next year. I read up loads on them this afternoon and the good news is they also eat aphids and slugs! They commonly infest areas of new housing as well...something to do with the new house foundations. I've had them in the house climbing the walls and everything....yucky. Still, I'm hoping that it will settle down next year and I shall attempt to trap as many as I can. Thanks again. :))

Not sure how to prevent them but I know suet can encourage loads of them - when I picked it up from bird table there was about 7 on it - and I'm not good with bugs - they also love roses

there is a link here

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/removing-earwigs-from-the-garden.htm

Thanks Paul, I'll have a look at this.